A corpqeation of new yobk



W. L. McGRATH.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1919.

1,363,003. Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

fig. 5.

70 75 v I 9 5 r E 2 J ;;;j

W. L. McGRATH.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 22. 1919.

1,363,003, Patented Dec. 21,1920

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. L. McGRATH. ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 22, 1919.

1,363 ,003. Patented Dec. 21, 1920.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNlTttlll STATES EFICE.

WILLIAM/1' L. MCG'RATH, F ELM'IRA. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'I'O ECLIPSE MACHINE GOMPANY. 01? 1311151351., NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENGINE-STARTER.

1,363.tl1d3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed October 22, 1919. Serial No. 332,432.

T 0 all whom it may] concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. MGGRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine- Starters. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a starter for an 1 engine such as an internal combustion engine and pertains more particularly tothe drive or transmission thereof. The drive in which my invention is shown incorporated is the well-known Eclipse-Bendix drive and the object of such invention is to provide simple and efficient means for re tracting the driving member or pinion from the flywheel in the event that the same should become jammed or locked thereagainst in the eventof failure to mesh with the flywheel or other engine members. Speaking in general terms I accomplish thls result by providing means for rotating in backward direction the screw shaft on which the pinion is mounted with the result that the pinion will be baclred off or away from the flywheel after which the starting operation can be repeated and the desired meshing and eventual starting of the engine accomplimed. The jamming condition referred to of somewhat rare occurrence and is occasioned by improper installation of the drive and also by the use of an improper character of flywheel gear which is not suited to the pinion used in the drive.

-in the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a starter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 an end elevation thereof; Figs. 3. 1 and similar views showing modified forms of construction. and Fig. 6 an end elevation of the drive of Fig. 5. 1

Referring to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1, the prime mover which is here an electric motor 1 is provided with an extended armature shaft 2 which has an outer bearing 3 in the outer end of a ln'aclret or casing 1 which is secured to the motor frame. The drive which is carried by this driving shaft is of the usual Eclipse-Pendix type. the same comprising a driving held 5 secured to the shaft 2. a driving spring 6 connecting between this drive head and a driven head 7 at one end of the screw shaft 8, a stop nut 9 at the end of the screw shaft, and a pinion 10 screw threaded on the shaft 8 and adapted to mesh with a fly wheel gear 11.

The outer end of the casing 4 is provided with two parallel arms 12 which are provided with openings to receive and guide a manually operated plunger 13 which is normally held in upward position by the coiled spring 1 1 abutting at its lower end against the upper arm 12 and at its upper end against the button or head 15 at the top of the plunger. The upward movement of this plunger is limited by the collar 16 secured to the lower end. thereof and adapted to contact the lower arm 12.

A. plunger is provided on one side with a' rack 17 adapted to mesh with a pinion 18 secured to the extended outer end of the drive shaft 2. Normally the rack and pinion are out of mesh as shown in Fig. 2 but when the plunger is depressed the rack meshes with the pinion and rotates the Same together with the entire drive in an anti clockwise direction when viewed asin Fig. 2, which is the direction opposite to that when the same is driven by the motor.

Assuming that the starter has been operated and the pinion has become jammed against the flywheel gear the same is instantly released by the depression of the plunger 13 with the result that the shafts 2 and 8 are rotated hackwardly and the pinion is screwed away and released from the flywheel gear, to a position. ready for a starting operation.

In Fig. 3 i have shown a modified form of construction in that the drive is of the inboard type as compared with the outboard type shown in. Fig. 1. In this construction the corresponding parts of the drive are similarly indicated by reference figures. The pinion 18 instead of being at the outer end of the driving shaft 2 is here at the innor end adjacent the motor and the plunger 13 is here supported and guided by arms 19 projecting from the motor frame itself.

In Fig. 4 l have shown another modified form of construction according to which a separate pinion such as 18 is dispensed with and pinion teeth out upon the extended sleeve portion E20 of the driving head 5 of the drive.

Moreover, the plunger 13 is supported and guided in openings passing through the eX tensions 21 and 22 of the casing 4.

in Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modified form of construction. which is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3 with the exception of the manually operating mechanism which here consists of a geared segment 23 adapted to mesh with the pinion 18 and fulcrumed at 24 upon a plate extension 25 of the motor. This segment is operated by the lunger 26 through the medium of av link 2 pivotally connected at its lower end to such plunger through the medium of a pivot pin 28 and at its upper end to the segment through the medium of the pivot pin 29. Thus when the plunger 26 is depressed the segment 23 will be swung downwardly and after a short movement will engage and rotate the pinion 18 backwardly.

I claim:

1.. In an engine starter drive, the combination, with a driving shaft and a driving member thereon adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the shaft in one direction, of means for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw such member after having been advanced.

2. In an engine starter drive, the combination with a driving shaft and a driving member thereon adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the shaft in one direction, of manually operated means for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw such member after having been advanced.

3. In an engine starter drive, the combination with a driving shaft and a driving member thereon adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the shaft in one direction, of means for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw such member after having been advanced such means comprising gearing normally out of engagement with the shaft but adapted to be engaged therewith and advanced at the will of the operator.

4. In an engine starter drive, the combination with a driving shaft and a driving member thereon adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the shaft in one direction, of means for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw such member after having been advanced such means comprising rack and pinion device cooperating with the shaft to rotate it in such opposite direction.

' 5. In an engine starter, the combination, with a power driving shaft, a screwshaft mounted thereon and operatively connected with the driving shaft, driving member mounted on the screwshaft and adapted to be automatically advan ed longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the driving shaft when power operated, and means for rotating the screwshaft in the opposite direction to withdraw the driving member after having been advanced.

6. In an engine starter, the combination,

with a power driving shaft, a screwshaft mounted thereon and operatively connected with the driving shaft, a driving member mounted on the screwshaft and adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the driving shaft when power operated, and means for rotating the screw shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw the driving member after having been advanced, such means comprising a rack and pinion.

7. In an engine starter, the combination, with a power driving shaft, a screwshaft mounted thereon and operatively connected with the driving shaft, a driving member mounted on the screwshaft and adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the driving shaft when power operated, and means for rotating the screw shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw the driving member after having been advanced, such means acting directly on the power driving shaft.

8. In an engine starter, the combination,

with a power driving shaft, a screw shaft mounted thereon and operatively connected with the driving shaft, a driving member mounted on the screwshaft and adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the driving shaft when power operated, and means for rotating the screw shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw the driving member after having been advanced, such means comprising a pinion on the power driving shaft and a reel: adapted to mesh with the pinion.

9. In an engine starter drive, the combination, with a driving shaft and a driving member thereon adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rota tion of the shaft in one direction, of means for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw such member after having been advanced such means comprising a rack and pinion device coiiperating with the shaft to it in such opposite direction and an elertric motor operatively connected with such power driving shaft and having supporting means for such rack.

10. In an engine starter drive, the combination, with a driving shaft and a driving member thereon adapted to be automatically advanced longitudinally thereon by the rotation of the shaft in one direction, of means for rotati the shaft in the opposite direction to withdraw such member after having been advancer such means comprising a rack and pinion device cotiperating with the shaft to rotate it in such opposite direction and an electric motor operatively connected with such power driving shaft and having supporting means for such rack consisting of brackets having openings to receive and guide the rack.

WILLIAM L. MCGRATH. 

